Education and certificates are an essential part of your resume because they show a potential employer that you don’t just have valuable experience, but you have training-backed experience. In addition, showing the employer that you are currently getting a certificate can emphasize that you are passionate enough about the field to continually better yourself. Thus, you should list a certificate not yet received on your resume, but you should do it in such a way that it is clear you are not already certified.

Write the name of the certificate as the first item under the experience or training section of your resume. Include the name of the certificate and the granting organization. Write the name of the certificate first, followed by the granting organization on the next line. Format these items so they are flush left. Use bolding, italics and font consistent with the rest of your resume.

Type “expected” and the date you intend to receive your certificate on the same line as the certificate’s title, but align it to the right. List the exact date, if you have it, or the month, semester or year if you do not. For example, “expected Summer 2011.”

Add bullet points describing specific courses or training if applicable. Do not add additional information if it is clear from your certificate’s name what you have learned. However, if the certificate is in management and you are applying for a job in finance, it is appropriate to list the types of financial training included.

Tip

Only list certificates that are relevant to the job to which you are applying or that suggest well-rounded skills that would be a benefit to the company. For example, if you are applying for a teaching job and have a certificate in child first aid, this would be appropriate to include. Unrelated certifications, however, make you look like you are not really interested in the job.

Warning

You can add the words "enrolled in" before the certificate title and "program" after if there is any confusion about whether you are currently in the program. However, avoid extra words whenever possible to make the resume concise and easy to scan.